Four women in fight for Sheffield election selection

Long-standing Sheffield MP Meg Munn is stepping down

Four women are vying to replace Meg Munn as Labour’s parliamentary candidate when the long-standing Sheffield MP steps down at the next General Election.

An all-female shortlist has been chosen by Labour’s National Executive for the Sheffield Heeley seat, in a bid to fight back against the domination of male MPs in a positive discrimination policy.

Ms Munn, aged 54, said: “It is good to have more women in Parliament.

“Obviously you can’t predict an outcome, but we have two women representing parts of Sheffield and I would like to see that continue.”

The four candidates will speak at a hustings of Heeley Constituency Labour Party on next Saturday, when Ms Munn’s successor is chosen to fight the campaign for next year’s election.

The candidates are: Jane East, a senior international development worker, who has worked across the UK and Africa; Sally Gimson, a councillor in Camden, London, who stood in the last general election for South Leicestershire; Sheffield-born Louise Haigh, who works for insurance firm Aviva and has campaigned nationally on coalfield issues; and Liz Pemberton, who has lived in Heeley for more than 20 years and is currently Ms Munn’s office manager.